Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso’s intelligence agencies say they are set to expose senior Nigerian politicians accused of backing bandit groups in the North-West.
Security analysts and counter-terrorism experts have raised urgent concerns over the deepening crisis of arms procurement networks allegedly fueling banditry in Northwestern Nigeria, stressing that the Nigerian government must strengthen its collaboration with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso in order to expose and dismantle the powerful financiers and international supply chains sustaining the insurgents.
According to credible intelligence reports, security agencies in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have launched coordinated investigations into the cross-border arms trade that links notorious Nigerian bandit kingpins with illicit gunrunners operating along the porous Nigeria–Niger border corridor. These revelations underscore the transnational nature of the security challenge, as arms, recruits, and cash flow freely across the Sahel, empowering violent groups that have carried out mass kidnappings of schoolchildren, targeted attacks on Nigerian security forces, and abductions of expatriates for ransom.
Investigations point to a disturbing dimension involving some Nigerian politicians who previously brokered peace deals with armed groups. Intelligence sources allege that large sums of state funds meant for peace initiatives may have been diverted to bandit leaders, with the money channeled through proxies for the purchase of high-caliber weapons. This possibility raises critical questions about governance, accountability, and the role of political elites in indirectly empowering violent groups that destabilize communities across Nigeria’s North-West.
Sources close to security analyst Zagazola Makama confirm that AES security agencies have made significant breakthroughs by arresting several suspected gunrunners attempting to ferry weapons into Nigeria. These operatives are currently undergoing interrogation, and preliminary findings suggest that their supply networks are extensive, involving cross-border smuggling routes, middlemen in black markets, and financial facilitators using hard currency transactions.
A senior intelligence officer disclosed that “the AES agencies have arrested gunrunners crossing into Nigeria with direct links to the bandit kingpins. The scale of their arms transactions is alarming and requires urgent international cooperation.”
Beyond the arrests, the ongoing probe is also examining whether officials and mediators who participated in previous peace accords may have knowingly or unknowingly facilitated the diversion of funds to armed groups. This is particularly relevant in cases where state funds allocated for dialogue, amnesty, or rehabilitation programs appear to have been misappropriated and converted into weapons financing.
Nigeria–Niger Security Cooperation: A Strained but Vital Partnership
Security experts argue that the revelations offer Nigeria a fresh opportunity to renew bilateral and regional cooperation with Niger Republic, despite strained diplomatic relations following Niger’s 2023 coup. Historically, both nations collaborated extensively against Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked networks, with intelligence sharing proving pivotal in disrupting recruitment pipelines and supply routes.
Recent arrests of suspects accused of funding and transporting West African recruits to the Middle East for extremist training further highlight the urgent need for Nigeria to engage diplomatically with Niger and other AES members. Without such collaboration, analysts warn that the region risks becoming a breeding ground for well-funded, highly armed insurgent groups with regional and global connections.
The Way Forward: Exposing Sponsors and Dismantling Networks
Analysts emphasize that the Nigerian government must not only work closely with AES investigators but also launch an independent high-level probe into the financing of armed groups within its borders. A coordinated strategy should focus on:
1. Identifying and prosecuting political figures or officials implicated in fund diversion.
2. Tracing arms procurement routes and dismantling supply chains across the Nigeria–Niger border.
3. Deepening diplomatic engagement with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to strengthen intelligence sharing.
4. Targeting financial facilitators and international sponsors fueling the arms trade.
The unfolding AES-led investigation represents a critical moment for Nigeria to demonstrate political will and security foresight. By engaging actively in this probe, Nigeria has a chance to expose powerful sponsors of banditry, shut down cross-border arms trafficking networks, and reduce the capacity of insurgent groups that have devastated lives and livelihoods in the North-West. Analysts warn that failure to act decisively may prolong insecurity not only in Nigeria but across West Africa and the wider Sahel region.
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